


Two Worlds II

by cheesebeanmilk



Series: Two Worlds - Dragon AU [5]
Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF, Sideshow - Fandom
Genre: A little?, Amnesia, Blood and Injury, Body Horror, Dragon Prince, M/M, Mild Blood, Rejection, and I oop-, but here we are, finally the sequel that literally none of you asked for lmao, im hyped for it anyway, there's some fluff scattered throughout, this took so long to map out
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-03
Updated: 2020-09-20
Packaged: 2021-03-02 09:34:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 13,242
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23849026
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cheesebeanmilk/pseuds/cheesebeanmilk
Summary: Tanner feels as though something is missing. An unfortunate incident leaves him with memories he hasn't been aware of in a long time and a side effect that leaves his friends wondering who he really is.The sequel to Two Worlds in the universe of the Dragon AU that m-f-w and I have been working on for the past year.Check it out: https://m-f-w.tumblr.com/https://cheesebeanmilk.tumblr.com/
Relationships: BedBananas/Bucklington (Video Blogging RPF), Jared | Tomato Gaming/Keenan Mosimann
Series: Two Worlds - Dragon AU [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1376824
Comments: 4
Kudos: 23





	1. The Fall

It’s the day before they’re leaving town. Keenan is busy packing his bag and preparing food for their journey. The weather is nice at the moment, mild for this time of year. Keenan hopes it stays this way, or that it at least stays dry during their trip – given that the weather could be fairly unpredictable in Autumn. He’d sent Tanner and Andrew out together to grab some produce and extra food in general. Simple things like apples and anything that could be regarded as a snack. They’ve been gone for a while now but he’d half-expected it. Any time they’re together they get themselves into some kind of trouble. Although the villagers are used to the dragons by now. Keenan could even go as far as saying they’re friendly towards them now but there’s a little too much chatter about them still for Keenan’s liking. He’s surprised all the talk hadn’t brought any…trouble their way. Keenan knows better than anyone that if he heard rumours of dragons that usually hunters would follow but so far they’ve been lucky. Keenan’s glad of the lack of issues regardless.

Sunlight falls through in misshapen squares past the window panels, breaking the wooden floor into sections. Even though it’s sunny, he can hear the wind howling outside. Jared’s out there, chopping some wood for the fire in preparation for their return from their trip. He’s thinking ahead and for that, Keenan is greatly appreciative of the other man. He’s a great help in general. Many of times Keenan wakes in the morning to him hanging clean laundry out or preparing breakfast for him. Keenan’s tried to beat him to it but Jared would make him go back to bed. He’d taught Jared how to cook in the first place but goodness, he’d done a wonderful job. He props his elbow up against the windowsill and rests his chin in his hand, watching the other gathering his already chopped wood in his arms.

When he catches sight of Keenan from inside some of the wood falls from his grip as he grins at him. He spares him a shy wave before he grabs the logs again and carries himself to the door. Keenan’s waiting for him, holding the door open with a smile on his lips. They’d been doing well since the dragons had come back. It’s around a year and a half since then and their bonds are as strong as ever. Keenan feels proud of the fact. He’s gained the trust of the dragons. Most importantly, Jared’s trust. He strides through the door, huffing out a breath as Keenan shuts the door behind him. The tips of his ears and nose are a rosy hue from the cold weather. Keenan had learned the dragons were affected very dramatically by the weather. Where Andrew was in his element – quite literally – in the winter, Jared was the total opposite. Keenan believes that if he wasn’t so well-travelled Jared would complain a whole lot more. Of course, they’d gotten enough of that in the Summer with Andrew screaming about how hot he was. He’d spent the majority of his time in the woods, Keenan finding him soaking in a cool stream more times than he could count. Tanner and Jared practically had to drag him to the village in general, he much prefers his time in the wilderness than in areas of civilisation.

Jared arranges the logs around the fireplace, stacking them neatly and throwing a couple more on the already roaring fire. He places them in carefully, claws reaching into the fire without so much as a wince of pain. He’s a fire dragon, he could absorb the flames if he so pleased. Having him around certainly made lighting the fire a hell of a lot easier for Keenan anyway. He sighs and dusts his claws off, resting them on his hips as he glances over to Keenan.

“Packed up?”

Keenan nods with a smile “Of course. Just a few pieces of produce to put in my bag and that should be everything.”

“You’ve been to the seaside before, haven’t you?”

“Only a few times in passing. Not for a proper visit.”

“Tanner’s never been at all. You would think he might’ve been by now, considering his age.” Jared rolls his eyes as he sits down on a wooden chair, cushioned by a large woven blanket. Keenan hums and ruffles a hand through Jared’s hair, getting a grumble and light shove in response. 

Tanner and Andrew always seem to make an entrance when they enter the cabin. This time they practically fall through the door, Andrew tripping over himself and nearly knocking Tanner off his feet – much to his dismay. He yelps and shoots Andrew a glare, to which he receives a sheepish smile in return. Andrew has a small cloth bag slung diagonally across him, filled with produce no doubt and Tanner simply has one red apple in his hand that already has a bite taken out of it. Keenan makes a distressed sound in the back of his throat.

“No eating the produce! It’s to be kept for the trip!”

Tanner waves his hand dismissively, letting out a short chuckle “It’s _one_ apple, calm down.”

“Tanner.” Jared shakes his head, an amused smirk playing at his lips. Keenan gives him a warning look that has him pursing his lips. Honestly, the attitude of these dragons sometimes was shocking. Even after their major attitude adjustment, they're still arrogant bastards sometimes.

Autumn leaves skip along in the cool breeze that weaves through the forest, ruffling Keenan’s coat. He thought the trees would give them some cover from the wind but it doesn’t seem to be doing much at all. Sunshine pierces through the branches, casting it’s enchanting yellow glow on the woods. Leaves crunch under his leather boots as he fixes on his gloves and reaches for Jared’s claw. Jared’s wrapped up in a bundle of layers, clearly not enjoying the cold weather at all as they traipse along the trail together, hand-in-claw. Andrew whistles at them from behind teasingly, grinning when Jared shoots a glare over his shoulder. It feels as though they’d met long ago. Keenan has watched them grow since their first encounter and he’s proud of them to say the least. Most of the villagers knew of them by now and would even stop to talk to them in the streets. Shane had taken a particular liking to them and would often come around for tea or even dinner. 

Tanner rolls his eyes as Andrew kicks up a pile of leaves with his bare feet. Some things never change, Andrew still refuses to wear shoes but it’s more a personal choice rather than outright hating them. Tanner had mentioned he liked him better with no shoes and Keenan couldn’t help but laugh at the fact the other boy took it to heart. They’re on their way out of the village, heading to a seaside town Andrew had brought up a couple of weeks ago. Jared had voiced his dismay about this trip many times but he still marched alongside Keenan without hesitation. He’d told Keenan before that he hates everything about the beach – the ocean, the fact sand gets everywhere, he simply doesn’t like it. Keenan feels the same sort of way but it’s mostly a fear of the ocean rather than him hating the beach itself. Tanner can’t make any judgements on it since he’s never been to the sea before but at the mention of it, he’d perked up and expressed immediate interest.

Andrew had been extra worrisome about Tanner, considering he can’t swim. He’s already asked him more than enough times in the past half an hour whether he’s sure about the trip, despite him being the first to suggest the trip in the first place.

“Are you still sure you want to go? You can’t swim.” Andrew asks quietly “I’ll stay home with you.” Keenan finds it strange. He never really sees Andrew being the rational or sensible one and to see him so worried about taking Tanner somewhere that could get him hurt is enough to make Keenan worried too. Tanner hasn’t been to the beach before – he doesn’t know the terrain. Although, now that Keenan thinks about it he’s sure he’s seen Andrew paying extra attention when Tanner has been near open bodies of water. It’s staggering how much they care for one another. Keenan looks to Jared, who huffs out a puff of smoke and wonders if they could care for each other like that.

“I’ll be alright. Besides, I’ll have you there, won’t I?” Tanner responds equally as quiet but his tone is reassuring and Keenan catches a small smile from him when he glances back at the two.

They hike for hours, taking a few short breaks to eat a snack and hydrate or just rest their feet along the way. It’ll be about a two or three day trip so it’s a moderate amount of time to be travelling for but Keenan has definitely travelled further and he knows his friends have too. Although the trip would have taken significantly less time had they simply taken the main trail but no one could be sure of the reaction of other travellers to the dragons, they could only assume it would be negative. They stop hiking when they get to the bottom of a waterfall. Keenan dreads scaling the side of the cliff but he’s saved the effort of doing so when Jared’s wings spread from his back. He sheds his cape. Andrew snatches it out of his hands and snuggles his face into the fur collar as he returns to wearily watching Tanner dipping his hands into the plunge pool at the bottom of the waterfall.

Jared lets out a soft grunt as his wings protrude through his shirt, expanding with more than a few crunches and cracks than Keenan would prefer to hear. They’re slick with blood but it’s difficult to decipher between his red scales and the blood coating them. Jared reaches his hand out to Keenan. He steps forward and into his arms. They’re both around the same height, Keenan had never quite figured out who was taller than the other. Especially with Jared’s extra height from his horns. As his hands wrap around his waist he can’t help the content sigh that passes his lips, nor the smile that graces them when Jared raises his eyebrow at him. His arms snake around Keenan and with a couple of beats of his crimson wings, they’re soaring up past the waterfall, the spray of it just barely making contact with them both. It’s slightly too cold for Keenan and when they land a shiver runs down his spine.

“We’ll light a fire in a moment, love.” 

Keenan’s heart rate quickens and he nods in reply, trying to fight off his smile but failing when Jared brushes a thumb over his cheek.

Instead of the others shifting completely and no doubt making themselves targets, Jared takes them up to the top of the waterfall one by one. It’s as good a place as any to set up camp. Keenan takes a moment to sit down while everyone collects themselves, marvelling at the view. The sun is setting and therefore they’ve been gifted a wonderful pink and yellow sky, lilac clouds resting in wisps above the trees stretching toward his village. From here, he can just about see the faint glow of the village lights, creating a soft orange aura surrounding it. Keenan always enjoyed the views when he travelled, it’s the best part of it all and he’d always taken the time to revel in the majesty of it even when he was much younger.

They venture beyond the tree-line, in need of some tree-cover in case it rains - not that it looks like it will but one can never be too careful. It doesn’t take long to set up camp, they simply unravel their bedrolls and prepare a bonfire for the night. Keenan sighs as he places his cooking pot over the fire, throwing in some meat, chopping some potatoes and a few other vegetables into the mix. Tanner sits quietly as he watches Keenan, a content look in his eyes as Andrew fools around with Jared. Jared’s yells to halt his actions are nothing in comparison to the giggles flooding out of Andrew’s mouth. Roughhousing is one of many things that Jared got worrisome about. Anything that could potentially put any of them in danger would set him off. When they’d first met, Keenan hadn’t realised how much of a big brother role he’d taken up with the others but now that they’ve been together for a year or so, he could see it more and more every day.

It was the same with all of them. Tanner showed more of a goofy and clumsy side that he wouldn’t have before. They’re all together a lot of the time and a trip up was bound to happen sometime. But even in his conversations he would talk more and about silly things that Keenan wouldn’t have even considered him uttering when they first met. It’s a nice side to see considering how they’d started off in their relationship. Andrew on the other hand was actually quite quiet from time to time, perhaps it was a lack of energy but Keenan believes it’s more than just that. He could be quiet for no reason at all and that was perfectly okay. Everyone has their moments of silence and he’s no exception. It’s nice to see their personalities being shown in full now that they’re all getting along so well. Keenan is glad that they trust him enough to show him these sides of themselves they wouldn’t necessarily show to anyone else except their own.

He supposes that it would make him one of them. He knows Jared would say so anyway but he’d never really felt it up until recently. He’d finally started to feel like they’re his…friends? Family? He still isn’t entirely sure but he knows he cares about them and that _they_ care about _him_. It’s a nice feeling. To be cared about. It takes long enough to cook the stew and that much is clear in the growing grouchiness amongst the others. Keenan almost sighs with relief when he shoves a spoonful of food into his mouth, his shoulders visibly relaxing. Everything is lit by firelight, flickering noisily in the centre of them and sending shadows dancing into the night. Andrew sits the furthest from the fire but even then Tanner’s tail rests next to him to ensure he’s not entirely alone. Jared is resting between Keenan and Tanner, his own red tail snaking behind Keenan protectively. It doesn’t quite touch him but it’s presence is close enough to take notice of.

It’s a hearty meal, the meat falls apart and the vegetables warm his insides. It’s just what they need after a long day in the cold. He can’t help but notice how much more well-mannered the boys are now. They’re not squabbling over food like they used to. Likely because they know there’ll be more to come regardless of who is fed first. As the others finish off their food Keenan watches them pile their bowls together before their eyes rest on him. Andrew’s eyes are droopy from sleep, Jared yawns with his sharp teeth and Tanner kicks his shoes off, pawing at his bedroll and slipping under the covers. Andrew raises his eyebrows at his partner.

“I take it you’re not going to help us with the dishes then?”

“I’ll do them tomorrow.” Tanner waves a claw at him, purring when Andrew catches it and presses a soft kiss there.

“I’ll hold you to that.”

Keenan hands his bowl over to Jared, who appears insistent on cleaning the dishes with Andrew. As they make their way to the river, Keenan barely overhears them speaking as they go.

“You’re far too soft with him.”

“I am _not_.”

Keenan laughs to himself. He’d been thinking about it a lot lately but he couldn’t help but wonder if he and Jared could ever love each other so entirely like Andrew and Tanner. _That’s the dream_ , he supposes.

“Thank you for dinner.” Tanner speaks up. His blanket is pulled up over his mouth so it comes out muffled and it's clear from his tone he's sleepy. Keenan smiles tiredly as he rolls under his own covers. Perhaps it would be for the best that they rest for the night when the others return.

As the other’s sleep on, Tanner rises early. His sash is splayed beneath him like a set of wings but as he sits upright it falls into place delicately on his frame. He stretches his arms and slips on his shoes after a moment of blinking tiredly at his surroundings. The fire is mostly burnt out but it must not have been for long, the fire chokes out black plumes of smoke and the ashes still burn orange underneath. Tanner shivers and gets to his feet, walking away from the camp. They’d rested near a small waterfall, meaning they had a small plunge pool to bathe in below. Tanner hadn’t slept well at all, he keeps having questionable dreams about being human. He’s felt as though something has been missing since he’d returned to his dragon form. He can’t place exactly what it is but it’s been bothering him.

Tanner wouldn’t dare mention it to the others. The last thing he wants is for them to worry at all. The dreams come and go but they always seem to return to him eventually. It seems extensive that they’ve been recurring for longer than a year now but he refuses to let them interfere with his life. Things have been going well between their group and Tanner wouldn’t change them for the world. He and Keenan were getting along swimmingly, they wouldn’t spend the most time together alone but when they’re left together Tanner seems to bring out the chaos in the other man. They would get up to all kinds of mischief together and where it would usually just be Tanner plotting against his friends, now he has Keenan to go along with him.

Becoming human was interesting to say the least. For the most part Tanner had been curious about how humans go about their lives, with their household chores and purchasing of produce. He’s still not entirely sure of the point of sweeping the floor when they mostly wear their shoes inside anyway, wouldn’t the dirt track around the house? Perhaps they should have been taking their shoes off this entire time but Keenan didn’t want to say anything.

Tanner shakes his head. He’s thinking too much. It’s a tendency of his, he can’t manage to go a moment without overthinking something. He sighs and walks to the water, cupping a handful of it and splashing it in his face. It’s cold, enough to wake him up a little more. As he swipes the water from his eyes his gaze meets his reflection staring back at him. His golden scales glimmer in the sunlight as it rises high into the vanilla-coloured sky. Navy clouds look as though they've been painted into the landscape, presenting themselves in strokes of colour. Tanner smiles. He should go for a fly this morning considering the weather is so nice. Andrew would appreciate this, he was always weak for lovely scenery. He considers waking him up to show him but reconsiders when he remembers how peaceful he'd looked curled up in his bedroll. He wouldn't dare bother him. He sighs and turns on his heel, his shoulders slumping.

As he turns around he realises his mistake. Spending too much time in his own head means he hasn't been listening or paying enough attention to his surroundings. Being out in the open means he should always be on guard. Something slashing at his chest is enough to teach him his lesson. He hisses in pain and stumbles back a step, wide eyes staring at the human in front of him, a dagger raised toward him. He might've laughed at the puny weapon if he hadn't already been hurt by it.

But he has been. He freezes up at the sight of blood seeping through his blue sash, swiping a hand over the soaked material and looking at his claw now painted red. The human lunges at him again but he manages to push him away for long enough to compose himself. He growls deep from his throat, raising a hand as lightning flows through his veins. Small bolts of electricity dance between his fingers, snaking around his palm as his other hand presses to his wound.

“You think magic will stop me? You’ve got a storm coming, golden one.” The human hacks out a laugh that makes Tanner’s blood run cold. He opens his mouth to demand an explanation but the human is already swiping at him. Tanner throws his hand out, sending a nasty shock through his attacker. He grits his teeth at the pain but pushes back, slicing at the air and catching Tanner’s forearm. His confidence is knocked as he sees the blood trickle down his arm and the distraction is enough to have his fighting falter. He doesn’t have the upper hand, he should – he’s a dragon, he should be _stronger_ than a human.

How is he not stronger than this human? A panicked breath passes his lips from the exertion he feels. Maybe it’s his lack of sleep catching up to him. His arms are shaking trying to hold back the human and no matter how hard Tanner pushes, the other doesn't relent. Try as he might, Tanner can't seem to summon the lightning from within him either. It's like it's stuck, unable to release and protect himself from his attacker. He growls weakly and switches to his last resort. Calling out to his friends for help. The first name that rolls off his tongue is Jared's, then Keenan. And finally, when the human catches his weakness, slashing his dagger across Tanner's chest once more - it seems to be the final stroke. Tanner stumbles back, his claws and chest dripping with blood as he quietly whispers out Andrew's name in a weak plea. He's going to die here. He's going to die by the hands of a human like so many other dragons have in the past - like he had once come so close to himself. He just wishes it could have been more valiant or graceful. Not whatever _this_ is. This power failure. Instead, his vision turns bleary and black closes in on him as he hears a familiar voice call out his name from beyond the tree line. He becomes one with the flow of the river for a moment before it angles down into a waterfall. The black settles in fully as he crashes down into the water below.

Tanner’s yells of distress had woken all of them up. As soon as Andrew caught one look at his empty bedroll he was immediately scrambling to his feet in a panic. Jared was already up, Keenan securing his bow over his chest next to him.

“It came from the waterfall.” Keenan states as they break into a fast paced journey to the river bank. It’s not far, barely a couple of minutes but Andrew can feel the panic amongst all of them. Andrew bursts through the brush, chest heaving and eyes wide as he searches the vicinity for Tanner. His eyes completely brush past the human standing in the clearing, ignoring him completely in his search for his love.

“ _You_.” Jared snarls, swooping forward and clasping a hand around the humans throat “Where is he?”

“Who?”

The human glances at Keenan and Andrew, doing a double-take when he makes eye contact with Keenan. There’s recognition in his eyes for a brief second and it’s gone so quickly, Andrew questions whether he read the look correctly or not. He’s too distracted to think too much into it, his brain might short-circuit if they don’t find out where Tanner is soon. Another snarl and Jared’s hand tightening around the humans neck forces a short laugh out of him

“Oh – _him_.” He glances over his shoulder, toward the waterfall and that seems to be all Andrew needs to be moving forward.

“Jared, don’t-” He hears Keenan say, trying to reason with the violent tendencies of the other. Andrew doesn’t hear any more than that, already launching himself below. He’s dived from higher heights, he tends to know his way around water.

As he splashes into the pool below, his eyes fly open. In his normal state, he can see well in dark spaces – and under water is no exception. The disturbance under the water from the waterfall is the only hindrance to his sight but he’s swimming down as fast as his body can take. When he doesn’t see Tanner right away, his heart sinks into the pits of his stomach. What on earth happened? He could’ve hit his head on the way down, been held under the surface by the force of the waterfall, or just not been able to make it to the surface – he can’t swim after all. A panicked sob passes his lips in a couple of bubbles. He blinks a couple of times and forces his weight down, tail snaking behind him. When he sees Tanner, he has to refrain from gasping. His eyes are shut gently as though he’s sleeping and that alone makes fear rise inside Andrew’s chest. The water is tainted slightly pink from the blood seeping out of him and even when Andrew grabs a hold of him – he doesn’t move or flinch in the slightest. It takes a good amount of effort to get him out of the water and on to the bank. His clothes are weighing him down significantly and he’s a dead weight in general but Andrew manages.

As soon as he surfaces he’s gasping for air. He wasn’t under the water for very long but the sheer terror of losing Tanner is making his breaths come out short and panicked. Tanner's body flops lifelessly on to the grass just as Jared and Keenan skid to stop on the other side of the river, their expressions mirroring each other. Andrew barely spares them a glance. Every inch of him feels exhausted and horrified all at once, he’s laying Tanner down on his back and pressing repeatedly on his chest as soon as he can catch his own breath.

“Come on, come _on_.” He whispers desperately, his hands are shaking as he starts to break down. He can’t keep going. A sob wracks through him as he lays his hands across Tanner’s chest, gripping his sash and whimpering pathetically. He doesn't know what to do or how to help in this state. After a moment, Jared is pulling Andrew away kicking and screaming. He needs to keep going. He needs to try to bring Tanner around - but he’s exhausted himself, he knows he can't keep going.

All he can do is watch as Keenan drops to his knees and picks up where Andrew left off. His movements are less clumsy and firmer than Andrew’s and for a moment, Andrew is glad of him. He’s glad they have Keenan. When he presses his lips to Tanner’s the gladness quickly dissolves and suddenly, jealousy floods his every thought. This shouldn’t be his first reaction, it’s selfish and childish of him considering the situation but focussing on his jealousy makes him feel less terrified. Jared holds him in place as he tries to surge forward.

“Andrew, he’s trying to help. _Cease_.”

Andrew growls and buries his red face in Jared’s arm. He shouldn't even be worrying about this. Tanner is in a life-threatening situation, mouth-to-mouth is normal and crucial to help him. But he can't help the soft growl that bubbles up from his chest as Jared traces gentle circles along the scales of his shoulder in a feeble attempt to calm him down. Jared's face is pressed into his hair, his own breathing shaky and panicked like Andrew's. He blinks. He hadn't thought about how this would affect him. Jared has known Tanner for longer than Andrew after all, they're practically siblings. He wraps his arms around Jared and gives him a reassuring squeeze despite himself.

When he hears coughing and sputtering, he springs away from Jared. He finally lets Andrew go as he dashes forward, skidding along the grass on his knees and coming to a halt beside Keenan. The other backs away to give Andrew a moment with his injured other half. When Tanner's eyes flutter open, his light eyebrows draw together in confusion. He stares up at the sky momentarily before his eyes rest on Andrew. He blinks once. Then twice. And suddenly he’s scrambling back, ripping himself out of Andrew’s grasp with a distressed sound. The reaction draws a hurt expression from him that’s quickly covered up as he tries to comfort Tanner.

“It’s alright! You’re alright…” Andrew reaches a claw out toward him but he’s met with a quick slap on the wrist. It doesn’t hurt but Andrew can’t help the yelp of surprise that passes his lips. Tanner had never struck him before. He wouldn’t.

“I’m certainly _not_ alright. Who are you? Where am I?” He points an accusatory finger at Andrew and the others. They share a concerned glance between themselves. _What does he mean ‘who am I?’,_ Andrew thinks. How could Tanner possibly forget who he is?

“Tanner, stop jesting.” Jared rolls his eyes but there’s a glint of worry in his gaze.

“How do you know my name, _beast_?”

Jared raises his eyebrows, not very impressed looking in the slightest.

“I think you hit your head a little harder than we thought...” Keenan steps forward to steady the other. Tanner lets Keenan touch him, glancing at his hands and visibly relaxing just slightly. Andrew can feel his stomach lurch. Why wouldn’t he let _him_ touch him?

“Thank God, another human. What are we doing in the company of this… _scum_?” His tone is sharp and demanding. It sounds cold, relentless – nothing like Andrew has ever heard aimed at him or Jared. It sends a shiver down his spine. His brain is overloaded with confusion.

“Another…human?”

“Scum?”

Tanner’s eyebrows knit together as Criken pushes his hair back from his forehead to inspect the gash there. It’s not a huge cut, Andrew’s seen worse but there’s a dark bruise forming on his head already. It’s enough to make his stomach flip and he tries to approach Tanner again. He leaps back, as though Andrew might attack him. It hurts to say the least. Andrew backs off hesitantly.

“Calm down, they’re not going to hurt you…Do you know who we are?” Keenan frowns when he receives a brief head-shake from Tanner.

“Why would I bother to make it my business who a lowly peasant is?”

That seems to be the last straw for Jared and he pulls Keenan protectively to his side.

“Hey - back off _, your highness_.” 

“Wait, what does he mean by ‘another human’? There aren’t any besides Keenan.” Andrew pipes up, his tone a little shrill from his own panic. Jared rests a comforting hand on Andrew’s head as Tanner clicks his tongue and shakes his head in annoyance.

“Is the green one blind as well as idiotic? _I’m_ the other human.” He says it like it’s the most obvious thing to state in the world but the look of horror on Andrew’s face probably says it all. Are things _this_ bad? So bad that he can't remember his friends, where he is or even what _species_ he is? Maybe he’s just confused. Andrew can only hope he’s just confused – what other explanation could there be for his bizarre behaviour and hurtful words?

“Guess again, genius.” Jared grabs Tanner’s wrist and throws his golden claw up in front of his eyes. Clearly it takes a moment to sink in. His eyes run along the claw and up his arm. He moves his fingers as if to confirm his thoughts and leaps away from Jared with a shriek of terror. Andrew fights the urge to try and comfort Tanner, in fear of driving him away further. All he can do is stand and watch as a distasteful expression settles upon his face. 

“What have you done to me?! Cursed me? Turned me into…one of _you_?” He’s in despair, disgusted as he tries desperately to wipe his scales away, scuttling away from the others some more. With all the thrashing around, he must hurt himself. A hiss passes his lips and he clutches at his chest. Andrew's eyes observe Tanner's shaky claw, his mouth going dry when he catches a glimpse of the slash across his chest oozing blood.

"Keenan..." He whimpers. There's not much more he can do. Tanner won't let him close enough to help him. He would have to rely on Keenan again.

"I know. Sit tight." He pushes away from Jared once more and approaches Tanner slowly "Tanner. You need to listen to me. I have medical supplies back at our camp that can help you, please come with us and I'll tend to your wounds." Tanner glances over Keenan with a look that doesn’t suit his face, it’s much too judgemental compared to his normal laid-back expression. Keenan is terrified he’ll say no for a moment. His anxiety only increases as they all await for his answer. 


	2. The Prince's Dream

Tanner glances over at Keenan with a look that doesn’t suit his face, it’s much too judgemental compared to his normal laid-back expression. Keenan is terrified he’ll say no for a moment. If he decides to wander off on his own he knows that Jared will take him by force and that won’t be nice for anyone involved. Tanner bites his bottom lip as he glances down to the slash across this chest and a similar wound on his arm, very clearly mulling over his options.

“Very well.” He agrees reluctantly, already knowing he has no other choice than to let Keenan help or his condition may worsen. Keenan knows from experience that it wouldn’t take long for a dragon to heal but he has to stop the bleeding and disinfect the wound at the very least. Not to mention that this was somewhat of a ploy to get him to join them back at camp where they could at least gather their thoughts. They all collectively sigh in relief in response to his cooperation.

The walk back to camp is a struggle for Tanner. Keenan notes his rough breathing and half-contained whimpers and picks up his pace slightly. He prays to God that Tanner’s attacker didn’t ransack their camp or gather others to further the attack. Keenan recognised him. He doesn’t know who he is specifically but he knows that the attacker recognised him too. Given the context, he can only assume the hunter was somehow associated with his childhood. He’s spent years training in preparation to follow in his father’s footsteps. To become a dragon hunter and slay the "vermin" of the land. Except they weren’t vermin and they still aren’t. There’s more humanity in the friends he has made than his father ever had. Keenan grimaces at the thought of how misguided he had been back then. Everything he was told during his upbringing had been a lie to force him into needless murder. How was he to know any better? He no longer dwells on it like he used to, no, he accepts it for how it is. And if not for his knowledge, perhaps he wouldn’t know that this hunter being present likely means more hunters would follow. 

When they get to the camp, the fire is completely burned out but nothing seems to have been touched, thankfully. Everything is how they left it and as soon as they’re close enough Keenan is already sifting through his bag for alcohol, a gauze or material he can use to wrap Tanner up properly and a needle to stitch up the gash in his skin. He won’t touch the scales on his arms, those should heal up alright. As for the regular skin that’s been slashed, regardless of whether it heals faster than a human’s wound, it’s still relatively slow in comparison to cuts and wounds on scaled appendages. And he has no idea if the dagger was coated in anything, it could have been laced in poison for all he knows and that alone makes his fumbling worse as he tries to grab on to the supplies he needs.

Tanner delicately sits himself down, his sash drifting slightly with the motion. It’s too graceful for someone that’s injured. Keenan pours the alcohol on to the corner of a clean rag and then hands the canteen to Tanner. He wrinkles his nose but takes a few gulps anyway. When he nods Keenan guides the rag gently to Tanner’s chest wound. He grits his teeth and sucks in a sharp breath but other than that, he takes the pain rather well. Keenan had half-expected him to make a fuss considering his behaviour by the river. Everything is too quiet, the atmosphere in the air is strange, full of worry and confusion. It’s hard to read what Tanner is thinking, it had always been like that for Keenan but just when he thought he’d got the hang of it for the most part – here he is back at square one. It’s like he’s an entirely different person. Keenan shrugs the thought off and pats the skin with a dry section of the rag before getting started with the stitches.

“You’ll have to be careful or the stitches could rip and injure you further. I think y-”

“I know that.” He interrupts sharply. He shuts his eyes, eyebrows drawing together “What…what exactly happened to me?”

“You were attacked. A dragon hunter attacked you.” Jared pipes up, smoothing Andrew’s hair down in a weak attempt to comfort him.

Tanner scoffs “I would have done the same.”

Keenan’s eyes meet the other’s in shock at the statement. It was one thing to call them scum but to say he would attempt to take their lives is something else entirely. Jared’s jaw clenches and the hand stroking through Andrew’s hair stops it’s movements as he tries his hardest to bite back his reply.

“How can he say that? After everything we’ve…” Andrew trails off. His voice comes out smaller and quieter than Keenan has ever heard him manage before. At that moment, Keenan sees several expressions cross Jared’s face before it’s clear he’s made his mind up on something.

“He’s not the Tanner we know. Don’t feed into his cruel words.”

Tanner lets out a quick laugh and for a split second Keenan is convinced it’s still him and this has all just been one big jest. Although the laugh is light and airy, it lacks its usual warmth. It sends a shiver down Keenan’s spine at how...empty it sounds. If he didn’t know Tanner better, he wouldn’t have picked up on it but it’s so deafeningly obvious he can’t ignore it. Jared’s right. He may look and sound like Tanner but this isn’t him, he’d grown too much to be full of so much hatred. He’d learned from his past mistakes and he was a better person for it but now, it seems that all of that learning has gone to waste. At least until they can return him to normal.

Somehow Tanner’s lack of words is worse, the smug expression on his face makes him insufferable and if Keenan didn’t regard him as a friend he might leave him as he is. But he  _ is _ his friend and so he finishes off his stitches, quickly tying the end of the wire and stepping back from him to give him some space. Tanner regards the stitches with a frown.

“I appreciate your service. Now,” He pushes a claw through his hair and glances at the surrounding perimeter, no recognition of any of it registers in his eyes as he does so “Which way takes us back to the kingdom?”

A moment of silence hangs in the air, only the sound of the rushing waterfall in the distance and the creak of old tree trunks as the wind whips through the woods, jostling leaves and branches in its wake.

“One of you answer me.” He demands. It’s a tone of voice Keenan has never heard come out of the man and by the looks on the other’s faces, they haven’t either.

“Which kingdom do you mean?”

“Don’t play idiotic with me. The kingdom you  _ took _ me from.”

“We didn’t-”

“We’ll take you back home this instant, your highness.” Jared cuts Keenan off quickly. He doesn’t even have to spare a glance his way to know that he has something up his sleeve. Tanner makes an expectant sound in the back of his throat, probably assuming they'll pack up and leave immediately. This only means a full day of travel is wasted if they go back to the village. They pack up anyway, rolling up their bedrolls and collecting their belongings as quickly as they can before Tanner gets too impatient and wanders off by himself. For now, he leans himself against a nearby tree and inspects the blood on his robes.

Jared is careful about talking to Keenan, keeping his voice hushed as he laces up his boots.

“Daniel is staying just up the mountain.” He says, knowing that it’s just enough information to give him an idea of his thought process. That’s right, Daniel had mentioned the last time he’d seen them a couple of weeks ago that he would be journeying around the same time as them. He’d be staying at a friend’s cabin in the mountains, he had described where it was but Keenan’s memory of it is foggy at best. Luckily, Jared seems to know what he’s doing. It’s likely that he himself remembers and could therefore lead the way. Tanner wouldn’t know any better anyway, he has no idea where on earth he is. If they could just get him to Daniel, perhaps he could help jog his memory. Keenan sincerely hopes so.

“That’s more like it.” He sniffs. Somehow even  _ that _ is pompous. Even his neutral expression isn’t the same as it once was, it’s like he’s an entirely different person. Like, whoever he once was is now simply…erased. That thought scares him. What on earth would Andrew and Jared do without him? Yes, he’s Keenan’s friend too but Andrew and Tanner couldn’t be seen without the other. How would Andrew ever adjust to being alone after being with his partner for so long? Even now, Keenan couldn’t imagine his life without them all in it. They’re practically family. He’d thought about it quite often but he’d never had to voice his thoughts on their relationships. He gathers they already know how he feels. His cheeks warm at the thought. He's a caring person, that's true but for other's to recognise it and feel the same way in return is slightly overwhelming for him - given just how much they mean to him.

As soon as they’re packed up, they follow behind Jared. Keenan offers some fruit to the others, everyone accepts it with the exception of Tanner. Who turns his nose up at the offer and shakes his head as though the fruit he’s offered is rotten. Keenan sighs and shoves the red apple into his claw anyway, receiving a shocked look from Tanner.

“You have to eat to keep your strength up.”  _ Don’t be so foolish _ , he thinks. Honestly, they’re only trying to help him but all they get in response is distasteful looks and blatant ignorance. If Keenan had been younger and more aggressive, he’d have already said something to put him in his place but time on his own and taking into account their friendship, he couldn’t bring himself to. It would make him too much like his father. Which is the last thing he wants. He has tried so hard to embrace the good things about himself his mother had once recited. She always saw the best in him and that’s why she understood most why he had to leave. He frowns and takes his place beside Jared. He’s aware the hike won’t take long, a couple of hours at the very most but he can’t help but feel anxious anyway. It feels as though they’re one step away from having to restrain Tanner so that he won’t run away. Keenan sincerely hopes it doesn’t come to that.

There are one too many thoughts flooding Andrew’s head. It’s all too much. He’s not sure how to handle the situation. He and Tanner are inseparable most of the time. Long before they met Keenan their dynamic had been mostly the same. Jared was consistently with them too but now that he’d found someone he cared about, like Andrew and Tanner cared for one another, things were different. Not in a huge way although he wasn’t around as much and Tanner had started to miss him, Andrew knows that. That’s why he’s been in his own head so much, at least that’s what Andrew assumed. He tends to think too much anyway. Andrew goes out of his way to make sure he keeps him out of his own thoughts, busying him with mindless chatter and jokes or outright asking Tanner what he’s thinking. Tanner would never reveal everything but he would reveal enough to give some insight into what’s going on in that head of his.

Of course, they didn’t always get along so well. In fact, Andrew would go as far as saying he disliked Tanner when they had originally met. They’d had a rough start to their relationship given the fact that Tanner and Jared burnt down the village Andrew had practically ruled over. The villagers would have come to him baring food and if they didn’t bring enough to satisfy his hunger, he simply ate the messenger. He shivers at the thought and spares a glance to Keenan, who is talking quietly to Jared as they walk. His ears tilt downward. He couldn’t imagine doing that now. Keenan is his friend and the humans in his village are nice, he would feel guilty if he ate any of them. The thought of doing so hadn’t really entered his mind except when they first met Keenan. He’d slept in their cave after all and trespassed in their temporary home. That wasn't received well by any of them. Tanner had been the only one to be intrigued by the human in the beginning but Keenan’s kindness drew them all in. Andrew’s thankful for that, it gives him a whole new perspective of other beings entirely. He had learned that not everything is as black and white as something being either prey or predator.

Tanner spares him a look, narrowing his eyes in suspicion. It’s strange to have someone he loves treat him like a stranger. And to see him act so coldly towards him genuinely hurts. He never thought he would see the day that Tanner would ever be so nasty. Especially towards him. As much as Andrew is protective and loving, Tanner was the same tenfold.

“Do you…do you remember anything from before?” Andrew is hesitant to ask him, considering how on edge he is. His golden tail trails behind him in defeat in comparison to its normal state of curling and uncurling behind him, it had been somewhat of a habit of his. A habit that no longer exists. It’s like any shred of his former self ceased to be. Tanner sighs.

“I was in my living quarters. My mother and father had only returned from a long trip and I…” His eyebrows furrow for a moment before he clears his throat “I had been asked to watch over the kingdom in their absence.” There’s clearly more to it that Tanner isn’t mentioning but Andrew doesn’t mention it, afraid of upsetting him.

“So they were the king and queen of your land?”

“ _ Are _ .” He corrects “My coronation is in a few weeks. They'll step down and allow me to rule over the land.”

Andrew's shoulders tense up when Jared goes out of his way to look over his shoulder at him. Neither of them says anything. Obviously he's been away from the kingdom for longer than a couple of weeks. He wonders what that means for Tanner. Did he just disappear off the face of the earth before he could be crowned king? Is any of this true or did he just hit his head too hard? He still can't think of Tanner ever being human. After all that fuss they made about Jared associating with Keenan and they'd had a human amongst them all this time? Tanner didn't seem to recollect that fact...or perhaps he'd hidden it from them. Andrew won’t even entertain that being the case. As hard to read as Tanner tends to be sometimes, he'll always share eventually when Andrew asks.

"What's your kingdom called?" He questions further. Perhaps if they get a name one of them will recognise it.

"Skystead. Shouldn't you know that, kidnapper?"

Keenan chokes on seemingly nothing, followed by a coughing fit that has Jared worried enough to be patting the other on the back. Skystead. The name rang a bell but Andrew isn't sure for what reason. Perhaps they'd been there in the past or maybe he'd seen the sign for it during one of their many journeys on foot. Regardless, Keenan's reaction gives him the idea that he knows exactly where Tanner is referring to.

"Stop." Keenan wheezes, his pace slowing before coming to a halt altogether "Skystead...you're sure?"

"Of course I'm sure." He huffs out, crossing his arms. Despite the hard exterior, there's another emotion hidden behind his eyes that Andrew registers as fear "Why?"

"That kingdom is no more. It's burned up ruins and no one dares go there in fear of the rumours of a ferocious dragon." Keenan pauses when Jared raises an unimpressed eyebrow "No offence."

Jared hums in reply but says nothing more on the matter. They all know what he means. Tanner goes quiet for a moment, mulling over Keenan's words before his eyebrows shift down and a snarl wracks from his throat. He grabs for Keenan but Jared stands in the way of him, towering over Tanner with his long red horns and stern expression. His arms are folded sternly across his chest. It's clear he's not going to budge.

"Don't you dare try to lie to me! Someone start explaining what exactly is going on here!"

"Calm down and lower your voice. Keep walking and we'll explain." Jared's tone is firmer than anything Andrew has ever heard him use with Tanner. There's a coldness to his voice that Andrew doesn't expect to hear from a dragon that can wield fire. It seems to work regardless. Tanner huffs out a displeased sound and gestures for Jared to start walking so that he can follow. Andrew purses his lips when Keenan falls into step beside him, squeezing his shoulder to reassure him. Couldn't they have gotten to Daniel before they told him any of this? It's too soon, he could try to run away and then what would they do? What would Andrew do? He supposes his sense of smell is good but only to an extent, if he got far enough Tanner could get lost and he wouldn't be able to use his magic to protect himself if he needed to. What if he got attacked? Andrew holds back a whine at the thought of Tanner being in danger and not having him there to protect him.

“You’re incredibly old. The youngest of all of us but if you had still been human, you would have already been long gone. Understand this – you are not human and haven’t been in a very long time. The memories you have of your human life would be more than a couple of centuries ago now.” Jared pauses as Tanner grips at his sash with trembling claws, trying to steady his nerves “I know this must be difficult to hear, not to mention hard to believe but I assure you this is the truth. You’ve spent years with Andrew and I.”

“That…can’t be. You can’t just expect me to believe-” 

“I don’t.” Jared cuts in “But that’s the truth, I can’t tell you otherwise. Up until now, you were entirely different. We weren’t even aware you used to be human.”

Andrew stays out of it, not entirely sure how Tanner is going to take any of this. They  _ really _ should have tried to get to Daniel’s before they revealed any of this. It feels like their situation when they first met Keenan all over again. Trying to make their way to Daniel only for him to not help them in the slightest. But they’d grown friendly with one another and Andrew knows this will change the outcome of his answer if they ask for his help once more. He would try this time. At least, Andrew hopes so. He’s always been a wild card so there’s no telling what he would say or do.

Tanner hesitates, worrying his lip between his teeth and flinching when his sharp canines catch on the skin “How long have I been like this?”

“Centuries. If I go off of your thorns, assuming that they only began growing when you took on this form then I can confidently tell you two hundred years.” He’s referring to the thorns on their jaws. They’d deciphered years ago that as they aged, a thorn grew to its full potential every hundred years. It was an easier concept to remember than actual ages so they referred to themselves as 2 or 3 years old. Keenan had found it rather funny when Jared had answered his age question with ‘I’m 4’ but once they explained the thought-process around it he seemed to understand. Still, it didn’t stop him from poking fun at them for being ‘so young’ according to human years.

Tanner turns pale, his expression wiping completely blank. It’s a shock. Andrew can only imagine how big of a shock it would be to find out you’re an entirely different species and everyone you ever loved was…gone. Not just that but they’d been gone for hundreds of years. He presses a claw to his head, grunting out a soft noise of pain. Everything feels like it moves in slow motion for a moment as his eyes roll back and he collapses forward. Andrew is the one to catch him before he falls, his tail twisting around him slightly to support his weight slightly better. He’s out cold. Andrew knows he should be panicking and he is but mostly about how overwhelming it is to hold him after everything today. There’s a lump in his throat as he swallows. He looks to Jared and Keenan for help. He doesn’t know what to do. That seems to be a common theme as of recent. He has no idea what to do because it’s Tanner and his own nerves get the best of him to the point of no return, he can’t  _ think _ straight. Jared is the first to move forward and scoop him up, much to Andrew’s dismay. As much as he has no idea what to do with him, he still doesn’t want to let him go.

“What happened? What’s wrong with him?!” Andrew asks, reaching forward but not quite grasping on to Tanner’s robes. Jared regards the unconscious boy for a moment. He’s much better like this, at least for now.

“He fainted. I think that was a little much for him to process.” Keenan says and he presses a hand to Tanner’s forehead with a sigh “At least we don’t have to worry about getting him to Daniel. Now he has no choice in the matter.”

Jared scoffs and nods his head. Keenan isn’t exactly wrong. This way they could at least travel in peace without Tanner complaining or being all high and mighty. He sighs as they walk onward. Why did everything bad have to happen to them? Jared just wants to live a quiet life with his friends and not have to worry about anything for once in his life. He can’t help but feel angry at Tanner. How on earth did they go all of these years without knowing what he was? Did he know all this time and he just didn’t tell them? He always was quite reserved about his past, perhaps he’d been hiding this all along. The thought makes him want to shake him awake and interrogate him but maybe it’s best just to let him rest.

He doesn’t wake up for a while. It spikes Andrew’s nerves sky-high, he’s completely quiet on the duration of their trip. Jared’s worried about him. But as close as he and Tanner are, Andrew is closer. Regardless of whether or not Jared has known Tanner for longer, it doesn’t mean he cares any less about Andrew. They’re family, as close to his own kin as he could get. He hadn’t cared about family when he was much younger. His father taught him all he knows and when the time came, he left the nest to travel on his own.

There wasn’t much to say about his own family. But Tanner and Andrew are like his brothers, annoying little brothers that he would do anything for and protect with everything he has. Which is why it’s so hard to see all of that bond go down the drain. It seems like they’ve gone back ten steps and after they’d grown so much too. Why couldn’t they have a moment to just relax? Jared is sick of always being on edge and having his life at risk. He worries enough about his friends without additional issues adding themselves to the mix. He sighs and looks down at Tanner for a moment before his eyes rest on the house further up the mountain. It’s in sight now, it shouldn’t be much longer to get there. He just hopes that Tanner doesn’t wake up before they get there.

Jared’s gotten more worrisome lately. He knows he doesn’t show it as often as the others but he really does care very deeply about them. It’s too much for him when they’re apart, to the point where Keenan had compared him to an overprotective mother. He hadn’t been very impressed about the statement at the time and even thinking back on it he still feels rather embarrassed about it. He’d been somewhat aloof when they met Keenan but he came out of his shell after a while and now he really showed that he cared. Andrew pointed out that he nags too much about things but it’s only because he cares and all of them know that.

“What the hell are we going to do?” Andrew asks suddenly. He’s been overthinking, his prolonged silence speaks a thousand words on its own.

“All we can do is bring him to Daniel and hope he can help us.”

“What good is that going to do us? How on earth is he going to make him remember anything? Is he just… _ gone _ now?” Andrew’s voice gets increasingly shrill as he speaks and before long, he’s shaking. Keenan bites his lip and looks at Jared for help. He sighs and quietly passes Tanner’s limp body to Keenan in order to console Andrew. He presses his hands to his shoulders and squeezes.

“He’s not gone. We’ll get him back. I don’t know how but we’ll find a way…we always do.” He speaks softly, attempting to keep Andrew as calm as possible. He frowns up at Jared, an unreadable expression fixed on his face.

“What if we don’t get through it this time?” The question makes Jared’s eyes sting. It’s the thought of losing Tanner that gets to him. How could they live without him? They’d spent two centuries together, of course it would be upsetting to lose one quarter of their group. It would be like losing a sibling. Jared swallows dryly, determined to be strong for them regardless of how much he feels as though he could sob.

“That’s out of the question.” He ruffles his claw through Andrew’s hair affectionately “Let’s make haste. Before your prince wakes up.”

Andrew rolls his eyes but Jared catches his lips curling slightly upward in response to his weak joke nonetheless. He’s grasping at straws, trying to help in any way he can but he’s not sure it’s going to be enough. 

Daniel could just tell them to get lost when they arrive. He  _ is _ on a short break away, why on earth would he want to help them when he could relax instead? He’s their only hope once again, Jared really didn’t want to make a habit of this but here they are again, grovelling at the wizard’s feet once more. Jared knows he’s rather friendly with Keenan but that doesn’t stop him from having a slight distrust of the magical being. After what he did to them Jared isn’t sure he could be blamed for his apprehensive view on Daniel but then again he had set things right after he almost killed Andrew. And none of their traumatic situations would have occurred if not for Tanner stealing Daniel’s gold in the first place. Perhaps he shouldn’t be placing blame. After all, they all needed a reality check after years of old habits screwing them over. They had almost died being blinded by their own gluttony, pride and greed more times than Jared would care to admit.

Keenan shakes his head when Jared prepares to take Tanner off of his hands.

“You can rest for a while. I’ll take over.” He says with a soft smile. Jared feels his heart warm in an instant. If not for Keenan, he would be lost. They support each other in a practical way. Jared and Keenan are careful, working on keeping each other safe rather than jumping head-first into a dangerous situation in the first place. Jared tends to over-analyse and worry about things before he acts on it, it’s the only way he knows how to cope in stressful situations anymore. Keenan is very reserved and he has a kind nature that only makes others more susceptible to understanding his ordeals. Jared supports Keenan in carrying out his household chores and sometimes errands but Keenan would cook for Jared a lot and allow him to stay in his home with him. He tries to make sure Jared is comfortable and keeps him from straining himself.

Despite all of that, Jared knows that something is missing from their relationship. He’d gotten the idea from the many times Keenan had mentioned his mother and his family. Humans are social creatures, that much is obvious but dragons tended to split apart from their families. ‘Safety in numbers’ is not something that dragons normally believe in and that’s why so many of them choose to live a life of loneliness. Regardless, Jared feels guilty to keep Keenan to himself when he could so clearly have a partner that he could return home to his parents with. He’d mentioned before that humans bring home their significant other to their family for them to approve of and give their blessing and that usually they would have to receive this approval before their relationship could progress any further. With Keenan’s family being dragon hunters, Jared highly doubts this would ever occur. And for that, he feels a pang of unbridled guilt. An awful feeling that he’s not giving Keenan enough, that he  _ can’t _ give him enough. Certainly not while he’s a dragon anyway. All he can do is love Keenan with all that he has until he can find a way to help the situation more.

When Tanner’s eyes open he’s indoors. It’s a dimly lit room, only a few oil lamps to illuminate the interior. He jolts upright, ready to panic before Keenan rests a hand on his arm to reassure him of his own safety. He glances around, catching a glimpse of Jared sitting with his arms crossed, looking about as impressed as he normally did. He can hear muttering going on off to the side of the room, his ears strain to hear the conversation and when he sees a green tail flick in annoyance at a conversation point, he can already tell who it is that’s speaking. The question is, who is the other individual he’s speaking with and where the hell are they now?

So much for him being able to trust this group of delinquents. They’d told him they would guide him home and now he’s somewhere else entirely. He frowns. The red dragon had told him he had been a dragon for over two centuries but how could that be? Why doesn’t he remember any of it? He groans and crosses his arms, leaning his back against the wall. None of this makes sense. One moment he’s resting in his bedroom in his family’s castle and now he’s sitting in some shack in the middle of nowhere.

It’s not like he can believe them…but at the same time, he can only wonder if it’s true. Had that much time passed? And if that were true, had a dragon truly overrun his parent’s kingdom? Had it done so while his parents still resided there? His heart rate quickens. His parents would be dead now anyway if so many years had really gone by. Everyone he knows –  _ knew, _ would all just be gone and there’s nothing he could do about that. The passage of time is relentless and has mercy for none, including him and the people he cares about. 

He presses his lips into a thin line, his shoulders hunched in his upset.

“Fine! I’ll have to conjure something here, give me a minute.” A new voice grumbles and as a young man with blonde locks rounds the corner, Tanner can only assume it belongs to him. He’s a tired-looking fellow, dark rings under his eyes contrast with his light blue irises and his pointed face is scruffy with slight stubble. His whole demeanour screams ‘stressed’ but Tanner’s one to talk. The blonde man sighs and flicks his wrist, blue light emanating from his palm as his hand makes a swirling motion in the air, muttering almost inaudibly under his breath. A cloud of smoke forms above the wooden floor, blue light sparking out of it every so often. Just when Tanner thinks the smoke and lights are all for show, a large cast-iron cauldron rises from the floor. It looks like the floorboards turn to liquid in that specific spot and when the cauldron rises fully, they return to their solid state. There seems to be a stone slab underneath, carved so that it’s rounded at the edges to prevent firewood from falling out. The wizard clicks his fingers at Jared and points to the couple of logs he’s pushing under the cauldron. He can tell it’s out of sheer laziness to use more magic but Jared rolls his eyes and complies anyway to the demand, shooting a quick fire spell from his index finger and setting the logs aflame.

Tanner watches in astonishment as the wizard continues to conjure bottles of coloured light out of thin air, pouring their gooey substance into the cauldron and stirring it with what looks to be a large iron ladle with a wooden handle. He’s seen alchemists perform something similar but he’d never seen magic like this before. This wizard uses it like it’s nothing, slack movements but with some sort of flair to them anyway. The cauldron bubbles and spits as the fire heats whatever is inside. He never believed himself to be sheltered but to magic, he definitely is. His parents had repeatedly told him that it was something used for evil, never to aid others but then what were all of these efforts for?

“Tanner.” The wizard beckons him over, to which Tanner slowly gets to his feet. He’s reluctant to get closer. What is he going to do to him? “My name is Daniel. I understand you might not remember that, nor that I am your friend. Please, come hither.”

Tanner steps closer, still hesitant. How could he trust these people? He just wants to go home. He doesn’t want any of this. His golden scales catch his eye again, sparkling under the firelight and he can’t stop the frown that draws his mouth downward. None of this is right. Everything he ever knew is apparently gone but he’s not sure he trusts that ‘fact’. After all, these people could be trying to trick him. God knows for what reason.

It doesn’t stop him from closing the distance between himself and the cauldron. What if all of what he’s been told is true? His parents and his entire home are no more. Nothing in his life remains. He swallows thickly as Daniel guides his hands to the rim of the cauldron. Whatever magical broth lies within must be powerful, the fumes rising from the purple liquid are lilac and orange in hue, dancing and twisting in the air. The mixture has somewhat of a scent of oranges and a hint of some kind of spice, perhaps cinnamon or nutmeg. Tanner can’t quite put his finger on it.

“I would like you to hold yourself above the fumes and breathe in deeply.”

At the request, Tanner gawks at Daniel. He can’t really expect him to do that, can he? He’s not just going to breathe in some fumes just because someone told him to.

“What will it do?” 

“It’s only going to help you regain some pieces of your memories…You’re lost, aren’t you?” Daniel regards him with his curious gaze. He’s right. He is lost. Everything has been turned on its head and he has no idea how or why. His lack of memory is beyond frustrating, not to mention confusing. His entire sense of self is lost. He’s no longer human, who’s to say if his kingdom is still standing and his parents are still alive that they would even accept him willingly back into their lives. He bites at his lip and leans over the cauldron slowly. His judgement may be slightly clouded but what’s the worst that could happen? 

When he hovers over the cauldron, he catches sight of his reflection. Golden scales frame his eyes and line his jaw. Long horns stretch upward from the base of his skull, the jagged edges sharp enough to probably cut himself on. His teeth are sharper too, definitely not human. He takes a shaky breath in, followed by another. His lungs burn but one more inhale seems to do it. His head spins as the fumes begin to take effect. He stumbles back a few steps but before he can hit the ground, Daniel is grabbing hold of him, worry etched into his features. He’s losing consciousness, the world collapsing in around him. Before he passes out, he mutters out a name. He’s not entirely sure who he calls for and he has no time to think about it as everything collapses into inky blackness. 

When he wakes up, everything feels slow as though he’s moving through molasses. His surroundings are blurry but he can recognise his own bedroom. White translucent curtains hang from the tall frame of his bed, caging him in. He pushes his covers off and gets to his feet, the bottoms of them pressing against the cold stone floor as he pushes the curtains aside. His room is large, a couple of his own swords are mounted on the walls, along with his favourite shield. A cushioned chair is positioned by the open window of his room, allowing a cool spring breeze to waft in. He sighs and leans his knee on it.

Beams of sunlight shine down on the kingdom, giving it a warm glow and for a moment he basks in the view of the market in the main square crowded with people. He’d always been intrigued by their subjects, sometimes he wished he could have been born a peasant, to save him from the responsibility of his title. Then he reminds himself how much better off he is. He couldn’t be a peasant, their lives meant so little in comparison to his own. He sighs and stands upright once more, turning his back to the kingdom as he steps towards the door. Something big flies by the window, plunging his room into brief darkness. The shadow disappears quickly but the darkness does not. When Tanner turns to look at his kingdom again the sky is overrun by dark grey clouds filled, cracks of lightning breaking from them and striking down towards the middle of town. For a moment he can see a silhouette above the illuminated clouds, he could recognise the form anywhere. It’s that of a dragon. And as lightning surges once more upon the kingdom, all he can do is watch in horror as the buildings below catch fire. He screams, the residents running for cover and for their lives. All he can think about is his parent’s safety, as well as his own. He turns to the door. He has to find them, he has to-

He’s plunged into a different kind of darkness this time. One that knows no bounds. He can’t see anything, not even his hand in front of his face. He swallows nervously and start forward, the sound of his shoes meeting the ground echoes into the abyss and panic hits him all at once. He takes off into a sprint, his footsteps taunting him. How low has he been running? There’s no decipherable end to this darkness. How does he get out of here? He halts his movement, his breathing erratic as he stands still. He gulps in breaths of air to try and steady his breathing but as the floor opens up and he falls, his breath is knocked from him again. 

When he comes back around he’s on the ground of the shack again. He swipes away the sweat on his brow and takes note of the green-scaled tail resting alongside him and then the form of the green dragon himself sitting by his side, an anxious expression on his face. 

“Tanner, are you ok?”

“I’m fine.” He snaps, getting to his feet and wobbling slightly. It might not have been the best idea to get up just yet but as a hand steadies him, he finds his balance. Daniel holds his hand in place for a moment longer. 

“What did you see?”

“A dragon attacking Skystead.” He’s hesitant to answer but what harm could sharing this information bring him? If anything, it would only help the situation. He can’t help but be suspicious though. Was it really a memory or was it simply a hallucination forced upon him by this wizard? He squints his eyes and keeps that thought to himself. He has to see Skystead for himself before he’ll believe any of this. He shakes Daniel’s hand from his shoulder. 

“What else?”

“My bedroom. Everything was how I last saw it. And…an unending darkness.”

“Unending darkness.” Daniel repeats quietly “That could be the gap in your memory perhaps. Perhaps not.” He doesn’t know? What a useless individual. They came here for him to answer with ‘maybe’s? 

“Is there  _ any _ way you can bring his memory back?” Keenan asks. Daniel bites at his lip and shakes his head. 

“I could bottle up some of this concoction for you and you could take it with you. It could help release some memories at a time but it won’t restore his memory to what it once was. That part is his job.” His job? How on earth does he expect Tanner to remember things if he has some kind of amnesia? He doesn’t even know his own way home. He frowns. Their reaction to him mentioning his kingdom by name can only make him more suspicious. Do  _ they _ even know how to get there? He highly doubts it and if they lied to him he won’t take it lightly. He just wants to return to some normalcy. 

When Daniel exits the room to retrieve a canteen to carry the potion, Jared follows him. Andrew watches him go with a cautious gaze. He could be going to hand over some gold for his help but something about his stature seems nervous. He listens carefully, trying to block out the quiet conversation between Keenan and Tanner. 

“...May I ask a question?”

“What ails you, Jared?” Daniel asks in return. There’s a beat of silence. It seems that Jared is more on edge that Andrew originally thought. When he speaks next, Andrew barely picks up on the whisper. 

“How much...how much would it cost to become human?” Andrew’s jaw almost hits the floor upon hearing the question. He’s met by more silence before a soft laugh leaves Daniel. 

“He doesn't care what you are, you know.” Andrew blinks at the implication. He’s not stupid. He knows he’s talking about Keenan. Why else would Jared give up what he is? He adores him. Andrew had never seen him love someone so deeply and in such a short space of time - it was surprising to say the least. But why would he want to be human if Keenan doesn’t care? A wave of emotion hits Andrew. If Jared becomes human he’ll die sooner. He would cut off years if his long lifespan. Andrew would be left with Tanner. If they can even return Tanner’s memories in the first place. What if he loses them both? He couldn’t bear it. He couldn’t  _ bear _ to be alone again. 

“How  _ much _ ?” Jared demands. Daniel sighs. 

“When Tanner is back, I’ll tell you.” 

Daniel receives a grumble in reply but Jared can’t argue any further. Andrew fiddles with his cape in order to make himself look like he wasn’t eavesdropping when they return. Daniel hands the canteen to Andrew and smiles reassuringly. 

“Things will be alright. Have faith.” He speaks quietly as if the words are meant for him and him only. He thinks of the way Tanner whispered out his name before he fainted. How desperate he sounded. It was so quiet that Andrew had hardly caught it to begin with but he’s glad he did. He can hold on to his hope for now. He doesn’t trust his voice to come out in anything less than a whimper, settling for a quick nod to his friend instead. Daniel shoos them, mentioning his friend’s return to the cottage. Andrew highly doubts that his friend would appreciate three dragons in their home and they leave rather quickly, bidding Daniel farewell. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my God, she's alive?? Who new I would actually upload every again with how long this took me. I kind of lost a lot of traction for writing and so this took me...forever. Everyone has probably lost interest already but here we are. Chapter 3 is written, just needs edited so I'm gonna try and get it uploaded as soon as I can. I recently started a new job so I'm exhausted a lot but trying! Enjoy!

**Author's Note:**

> Alright, so I've been planning this since the end of the first story of this series and now it's finally here. I feel quite happy with this first chapter after all this time and I'm glad to be finally posting it. I've really missed Dragon AU and I should be updating this somewhat regularly (i hope) for the first couple of chapters (I have some pre-written to give myself a chance to figure out how I'm going to fit the rest of my ideas in).
> 
> But yeah, I really hope you enjoy. This AU is very close to my heart and I put a lot of time and thought into it. I really loved every second of writing this, so hopefully it shows!


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